Wheel for locomotives and other purposes



June 8 1926. 1,587,594

N. LEONARD WHEEL FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER PURPOSES Filed August 18,1925 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8 1926.

1,587,594 N. LEONARD WHEEL FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND omma PURPOSES FiledAugust 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1926.,

UNITED s'ra'rss NESTOR LEONARD, OF FEIGNIES, FRANCE.

WHEEL FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER PURPOSES.

Application filed. August 18, 1925, Serial No. 51,025, and. in FranceMarch 5, 1925.

Steel wheels for locomotives as hitherto constructed have elements ofvery unequal metallic thicknesses; the hub and the counterpoise aremasses far thicker than the spokes and the rim; consequently largedifliculties arise in manufacture. In effect, the wheel, at the instantof solidification of the steel, is subjected to considerable shrinkagestresses; there is first a circumferential shrinkage of the rim towardsthe hub, a circumferential shrinkage of the hub towards its centre,shrinkages of the counter poise towards its centre, and finally shrinkages of each spoke towards its centre.

These last shrinkages result from the fact that the middle portion ofeach spoke cools fastest, as it is most remote both from the metal incourse of cooling to form the rim and the metal in course of cooling toform the hub.

To sum up, irregularly distributed. shrinkages and stresses are set upin the wheel.

These difficulties have in part already been remedied as regards thecounterpoise, by providing within the mould, before pouring, coolingblocks of steel which promote the cooling of the counterpoise and renderuniform the shrinkage of the piece. By the aid of a core, a chamber hasalso been provided inside the counterpoise, this chamber being filled,after the casting, with an additional mass of molten metal, lead forexample; this last method serves to render uniform the thicknesses ofthe cast metal in order to obtain uniform cooling and shrinkage.

However, the following difficulty has never hitherto been remedied inthe wheels of locomotives; the middle of the spokes which is the portionof these spokes most cooled and consequently the most quicklysolidified, exerts a powerful tension on a zone of the mass of metal notyet solidified which goes to form the hub.

The feeding head certainly has the function of constantly feeding withmolten metal the mass in course of cooling; however considering thenumber of zones of tearin away (in number equal to the number ofspokes), the slight extent of these zones and the plastic condition ofthe metal which-at this moment constitutes the hub, it is obvious thatthe action of the feeding head is insufficient to combat the tension ofthe spokes on the hub; these tensions have occasionally the effect ofproducing cracks in the hub.

These cracks cannot welc themselves up again owing to the oxidationwhich is instantly produced at the time of the premature cooling of thespokes relatively to that of the hub.

Under these conditions, the hub can no longer present the desiredsolidity to trans mit with all certainty to the rim the considerablestresses to which it is subjected; under vibration, it can expand on itsaxle and become unkeyed, which, with locomotive wheels, may cause graveaccidents. It is for this reason that the chief engineers of greatrailway companies, who have the responsibility for the rolling stock,show themselves so difficult in accepting these pieces, to such a degreethat they will not authorize even .the repair by autogenous welding,which results in steel works having a large number of rejections.

The present invention relates to a wheel for locomotives or otherpurposes which enables the above defects of existing arrange ments to beavoided. This wheel has for its feature that a certain number of spokesinstead of connecting the rim to the hub by being directly attached tothe hub, are on the contrary merged into adjoining spokes, in suchmanner that the number of points of attachment of the spokes-to the hubare reduced and consequently the number of zones of tearing away of thespokes from the hub at the instant of solidification, the feeding headthen being able to feed without difficulty this small number of zones oftearing away and avoiding the formation of cracks in the hub.

The invention extends. also to other features hereinafter described andto their various combinations.

A locomotive wheel according to the invention is illustrated by way ofexample on the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation ofthe wheel, and

Fig. 2 a section thereofalong the diverted. line 2, 2, 2 of 1,

' to a half.

The wheel comprises two series of spokes and 5 The spokes 5 are directlyattached to the hub 1 whilst the spokes 5 are each merged into the tworespective adjoining spokes 5 by two branches 20 these two branchesproviding between them and the hub 1 triangular free space 21.

These various arrangements ensure the following technical adyantagesFirst the number of points of attachment on the hub 1 is reduced to halfthe number of the spokes, the spokes 5 only being at tached to the hub.Consequently the number of tearing away zones 15 is also reduced Thesezones 15, thus reduced in number. become uniiorn'ily fed by the feedinghead 16 during solidification, which aroids any torn'iation of cracks inthe hub 1.

Moreover. recesses termed in the rim opposite each spoke 5 avoid thesuction of the metal in the direction 10 at the intersection of thespokes and the rim.

Finally, the spokes 5 being connected to the rim, not directly, butthrough the medium of branches 22, 22 present an elasticity comparablewith that of the spokes 5 notwithstanding the quite different mode ofjoining of the spokes 5 5 and the hub 1.

In addition, in order yet to increase the elasticity of the wheel, thespokes 5 of the second series may be connected to the rim through theintermediary of two branches 2-0 these two branches providing betweenthem a free space 31, as shown in P Fig. 1.

To sum up, the locomotive wheel according to the invention avoids cracks1n the hub,

whilst leaving all the spokes ap n'oximately equal elasticities.

Claims 1. In a cast metal wheel for locomotives and similar purposes,the combination of a hub, a rim concentric with said hub, a series ofspokes attached to said hub and rim, a second series of spokes attachedto said rim and to the spokes of said first mentioned series of spokes,each spoke of said second mentioned series being attached to twoadjoining spokes of said first mentioned series, thus reducing thenumber of points of at tachment o1 said spokes to said hub.

2. In a'cast metal wheel for locomotives and similar purposes, thecombination of a hub, a rim concentric with said hub, a series of spokesattached to said hub and rim, each said spoke being attached to said rimby branches, a second series of spokes attached to said rim and to thespokes of said first mentioned series, the spokes of said two seriesthus presenting approximately equal elasticities.

In a *ast metal wheel for locomotives and similar purposes, thecombination of a hub, a rim concentric with said hub, a series of spokesattached to said hub and said rim, each spoke of said series beingattached to said rim by branches, a second series of spokes attached tosaid rim and to said spokes of said first mentioned series, each spokeof said second series being attached to said rim by branches, thusincreasing its elasticity.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NESTOR LEONARD.

